$3,000 and I'm Sorry

Raven’s POV:

"You six should be able to handle the situation just fine. I leave this in your capable hands." Batman said through the screen of the bat computer. "Damian, Dick is in charge."

"But..." Damian interjected.

"It is final." Batman's tone was firm. Damian nodded his head. "Good Luck." Then he signed off.

It was just Damian, Kori, Dick, Kate, Roy Harper, and me. We didn't mean to be here all at once, but it seemed like fate brought us to the bat cave today. Damian and I were going to do surveillance in Gotham, but as you can see, we were rudely interrupted.

"Suit up guys," Dick ordered. Damian and I were already in our uniforms, so we waited for the others to get ready. I could sense that Damian was holding back, but he was trying to follow his father's rules.

"Damian, give us the run down through our intercoms," Dick said running back. "Everyone else, turn your earpieces on and get to the location. Wait for further instructions there."

Damian started to talk about a group of one hundred men at this abandoned wear-house. There was going to be an arms deal going on and we had to get in there and stop them from exchanging weapons.

When Damian finished talking it was only us left in the bat cave. I stayed behind to teleport Damian to the location. "Ready?" I looked at him.

He gave me one of his devilishly handsome smirks. "Ready."

I teleported us to the exact location, and we were the first ones there. Damian started to scout, and I counted the number of souls inside the building. There were 84 people there according to my soul count.

"The back is guarding and so is the surrounding area." Damian stood and looked over to me. "How many are inside?"

"84 souls," I answer.

"Good number." Of course, Damian would be wanting a fair and formidable fight, so it doesn't surprise me that he liked the odds of this fight.

"Robin, the intel." Dick came over with Kori just landing beside him. Roy and Kate came over, looking for themselves at the targets.

"84 people estimated to be inside. The place is surrounded and there are guards at every entrance." Damian concluded.

"Good odds." Dick nodded, sounding just like Damian. "Okay, here is the plan, Starfire, Raven, and Red Arrow stay outside and take out the guards. Robin, Kate, and I will take them down from the inside."

"Oh, come one. Let's make this interesting." Kate butted in with a grin on her face. "Boys against girls."

"I don't..." Dick was cut off.

"I like the idea," Roy said, smiling at Kate.

"Alright, fine. Girls are on the outside perimeter, and guys are on the inside." Dick gave up. "Everyone got it?"

We all nod.

"Go!"

I flew into the air and started a scan for guards in the wooded area. Once I found one, I slowly came down and attacked them from behind. Once I got one, I moved on to the other. I saw Starfire on one side of me and Kate on the other.

Kate was smiling from ear to ear. When she took out one, two more came at her. She was so much like the entire bat family because she just smiled. Starfire took out a couple and then started to scan from above.

"Raven, it's time to take the guards out by the door." She said over the comlink.

I teleported right in front of the guards. I let my raven out and it soared above me and engulfed the guards into a black hole. When I let up, they were knocked unconscious. Then my raven came after another and another. Soon I was flying above the building, trying to check for any more survivors.

I didn't see it, but I heard it. One single gunshot. Then I felt it. I felt the bullet pierce my side. My raven fell, and I with it.

"Raven!" Starfire came towards me. I saw in the corner of my eye that Kate had just killed my shooter. "Raven, are you alright?"

"I'll be fine." I lied, trying to sit up.

"No, we need to get you help." Starfire held me down and examined my side. I was hit just below the ribs on my right side. It hurt like hell, but I wasn't about to admit that. "We need to get you back. The bullet didn't come out. It's still in there."

If the bullet was still in there, that meant that I couldn't heal properly, and I might bleed out. I knew Starfire was just looking out for me, but I wasn't going to leave before the mission was done. "No, I am fine. Just help me up."

Kate helped me to my feet. "Have I ever told you how much I like you?" She gave me a smile.

"Thanks." I hesitantly said, trying to stand.

"Well, our job is done. The girls won." Kate smiled. "That means I win the bet with Roy, and he has to take me out to eat with his family."

"What?" Kori said beside me. She still had a worried face but was trying not to panic.

"Neither of us wanted to have dinner with our families first, so we made a bet that whoever caught all the bad guys first would win." Kate laughed. "So, I get to meet his family."

"Clever," I grunt in pain.

"Save your energy little birdie, will get you home soon." Kate patted me on the head. I glared at her, and she stopped. "I can see why baby bats like you so much."

"I think we should go and see if the guys need help," Kori suggests.

"Fine idea. I want to see the look on Roy's face when we swoop in and save him." Kate laughed.

We open the doors to the building. I am still holding my side, but I am trying not to let it seem as bad as it really is. Kori told me that I needed to stay out of the way. She didn't want me to get any more hurt than I was. I wasn't planning on following her advice.

"Oh, come on boys, why don't you want to fight me?" A girl's voice giggled from the middle of the room. Everyone else in the room was knocked out, but this one girl. The guys had set down their weapons and were smiling.

"We would never hurt you, doll." Roy practically sang out to this girl.

"Oh, but that's a shame. I wanted to fight." She sank to the ground. The boys all ran towards her. I thought they were going to take her out, but instead...

"Don't cry." Dick lifted her head. I looked at Kori and she was fuming. Dick and Kori had been engaged for four months and this was what she got. He was fawning over this new girl. All the guys were.

"Here." Damian offered the girl a tissue. "Dry your eyes, Beloved." He knelt beside her and caressed her face.

That's what he does to comfort me when I am upset. That small gesture always made me feel loved, but now seeing him do that to her made my stomach turn. I felt the anger grow inside me, but just as I was about to step in, a wave of pain came over me. I fell to the ground.

"Raven?" Kate whispered and helped me up.

"I'm fine." I stood up again. Kori was still watching Dick. He was looking at this girl and playing with her hair. "Guys, I want to go back. I think the boys will be fine here."

"Good idea." Kate's tone was dark and kind of scary. She was still looking at Roy who was head over heels for this girl.

"Yes, good idea," Kori said as she saw Dick kiss the girl's cheek.

I looked over one last time at Damian, who was now smiling at her and kissing her hand. Anger was rising in me once again, but I channeled it into magic. I created a portal and we all walked through it.

Back at the bat cave, Alfred came over and addressed us all. "Ladies, where are the rest?"

"They are otherwise occupied." Kori walked away.

"She was shot, can you work your magic, Alfred?" Kate helped me over to a chair.

"Of course. Miss Roth, might I?" He asked.

"Yeah," I answered. He came over and inspected the wound on my side.

"It's a deep one. I'm going to have to give you some numbing stuff to get this bullet out." Alfred helped me over to a medical bed. He gave me a shot.

Alfred was very gentle and said sorry whenever I winced. "Alfred, you don't have to say sorry every time," I told him.

"Of course," He went back to work. Within about twenty minutes I had the bullet out of me. I was already feeling better and knew that my healing powers were already kicking in. Alfred helped me to sit up. "Take it easy for a while. I had to give you lots of numbing shots to keep you from feeling the extent of the wound."

"Thank you, Alfred," I said, getting off the table. It was a bit of a jump down, so when I landed on my feet, pain shot thru my side. I grabbed it.

"Careful miss. I think you need to sit down." Alfred came over and helped me to a chair. It was Batman's chair. To be honest, though, this was the nicest chair I have ever sat in. "Stay here and I will get you some food. You need to eat."

I nodded. Kate came over a few seconds later. "How's it going?"

"Besides the pain in my side and the fact my boyfriend was hitting on someone else..." I tilted my head. "Not too bad. And you?"

Kate laughed. "I like you." She leaned on the bat computer. "I am going to kill Roy the next time I see him."

This time it was my turn to laugh. I laughed so hard I had to stop because it was causing my side to hurt. "Bitch," I said when I recovered.

"Where's Kori?" Kate looked around.

"I'm over here." Kori came out of the door and walked over to us. "Raven, are you feeling better?"

"Yes."

"Good. I think we should leave for the tower then." Kori didn't seem to be joking.

"You guys can't go. We have to be here when the guys show up to give them hell." Kate stood up straight. "We are not letting those guys off the hook."

"I don't..." Kori started but was interrupted.

"Kori, I don't think the guys would even say something about it. I bet they are going to brush it off and not tell us. We must be here and wait until they do. If they don’t, we must rip them a new one. I am not going to let them get away with this,” Kate made a fist.

"You're right." Kori agreed, surprising me. The two looked at me.

"Wait, what are we doing again?" I was seriously confused.

"We are going to be here when they come back,” Kori explained. "And if they don't tell us right away, we are going to make them wish they had."

"That's right!" Kate beamed. "I like you, Kori."

Kori smiled. "Are you in?"

"Sure." I shrugged and then sank back into my chair. "But if we have to fight them, can you two take Damian for me."

We took a minute and then all started laughing. I laughed so hard my side started to ache again, but I didn't mind this time. Soon I would be healed, but I just needed time. Alfred came down with sandwiches and lemonade. We all sat around the computer and ate, talking about different ways we could act when the boys came back.

Soon we had a plan, all we needed now was the boys.

My side was taking longer to heal than normal so I walked around to see if that would loosen anything up. Kori had told me to just sit and let myself heal, but honestly, my anger toward Damian was growing. I needed to walk to distract myself.

"What the hell!" Roy said, taking off his helmet. "You guys just up and left."

"We're sorry." Kate batted her eyes. "You see, we just thought you had everything covered."

"Did you complete the mission?" Kori said, her tone giving away her anger. I stepped over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. She gave me a grateful smile.

"They got away," Dick said, putting up his bow staff on the rack.

"They did?" Kate turned to Dick.

"Yeah," Damian said, annoyed that Kate wasn't apparently getting it. Damian rode back with Dick apparently. I forgot that I had taken him there, but it serves him right, having to hitch a ride back with his brother.

Damian looked angrily at me.

I turned my attention back onto the others.

"How did 'they' get away?" Kate said in air quotes.

"They got away because they blindsided us." Roy air quoted back to her.

"Girls, maybe we shouldn't have left then." Kate turned to us and gave us a look that told us that she was about to kill them all.

"Maybe we should have helped them get the army of people there." Kori's voice was cold.

"What's going on?" Dick said, looking at the three of us girls. It took him a minute before it dawned on him. "Shit, they know."

"What? How?" Roy stood up. Then he looked at Kate. "It's not what it sounds like."

"It's hard to tell when we both saw and heard you guys practically... fawning over that girl!" Kori said with such anger that I knew she could kill Dick.

Dick came over to her. "It's not what you think! I promise." He tried to hug Kori but she pushed him away.

I turned. Damian was right beside me. His face didn't give any sort of remorse. I turned away from him.

"Raven..."

"Shut up." I put up my hand to make him stop talking.

"Raven, please." He leaned closer to me. "I am not sure what you know, but please allow me to explain." He caressed my face with his hand. I leaned into him for a second before I saw an image of him doing that to that girl again and I moved out of his reach.

"Leave me alone." I turned away from him.

He took a step back. I hadn't realized this, but I was so angry I had my devil eyes glowing red. I took a deep breath and suppressed them. Then I watched Kori and Dick.

“Please Kori, I didn't mean anything by it. I didn't have control." He dodged a flying chair. "Kori please!"

Suddenly I felt a hand on mine. I turned back to Damian. "Look, let me explain."

I ripped my hand out of his. I temporarily forgot my injury, but with that fast movement, I was reminded. I clutched my side.

"Shit, Raven! What happened?" Damian tried to come closer.

"Stay away," I warned him. I was still holding onto my side, but now everyone was fighting with each other. I went over to Kori and grabbed her shoulder. She turned, and at first, her eyes were full of anger, but when she saw it was me, she melted. "Let's go."

Kori and I walked over to Kate. Kate turned and saw me clutching onto my side. "You see what you shitheads did! Raven was hit because you guys got distracted on the mission! You guys put your team in jeopardy!" Kate came over to us. "Let's get out of here."

I opened a portal to the Titan Tower. I knew that it would at least buy us a little time before they got up there. It was the summer, so the other Titans went home to visit their family.

"Nice place," Kate grunted. We were all still fuming.

"I have an idea. Let's go and have a 'girls weekend' . I heard they are relaxing and most importantly, without guys." Kori suggested, trying to calm herself. "I hear you get relaxing spas."

"I do have Damian's credit card." I pull out the card that Damian gave to me to hold. "I think he owes us after that mess."

Kate smiled at me. "We are going to be good friends. I know it."

"Perfect. I have Dick's!" Kori waved it in the air.

"Am I the only one that doesn't have my boyfriend's credit card?" She laughed. "Doesn't matter. I have his car keys." She pulled them out.

"Where too?" I said, pulling out a map. "They will know where we are as soon as we use the cards, so we have to do the thing and then pay for it, and then move on."

"Smart." Kori nodded. "I think we should all choose three places we want to go."

"Ok, but were too first?" I gave them the map. "I can get us anywhere, just point."

Kate pointed to something. "How about Metropolis? I heard they have amazing food, and I am starving."

"Perfect." Kori and I speak at the same time.

I conjured a portal to Metropolis City. We all step through. The place is busy, and we totally look out of our element in our superhero suits. "I got this," I say when Kori points this out. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" And then everyone was dressed in their everyday clothes.

"Perfect." Kori nods. "You are getting quite good at your magic Raven."

"Thanks. I try." I say, hiding the pain spiking in my side.

We walk along the street and point out different restaurants. We passed so many, but nothing really sounded appetizing until we stopped in front of 'Superman Restaurant and Cafe'. I heard about this place before, but it is expensive.

"That's perfect!" Kate says after I told her the price.

"Then let us go!" Kori strutted into the restaurant.

I watched as Kori took her confident steps. She was right. Kate and I followed her through the doors. A very nice waiter took us to our table and gave us a menu. You could tell the meals here were expensive because there were no prices next to the food.

I looked at Kori and Kate to see their reaction. They felt this was justified. I was mad at Damian but was never the type of girl to enact vengeance over a guy. Damian had made me feel like it was just me and him against the world, but now it felt like it was me AGAINST him. It made me so angry just thinking about it.

"Raven, what are you thinking about?" Kori put her hands on mine for comfort.

"I just... I don't want to talk about it." I spoke.

"I totally understand." Kori nodded. I knew she did. I knew all of us did. We were all hurt to watch the people we care about flirting over the same girl.

"Change of topic, Ladies..." Kate banged on the table. "How about the best place you have ever been to?"

"I think my home planet is the best." Kori turned to Kate, "but on Earth, I think the mall."

"The mall?" Kate said, sounding disappointed.

"I like to shop," Kori smiled. It was true. Every chance we got, we would load into the car and go to the mall. Kori would shop at different stores all over and spend so much money on things that she didn’t really need.

"And you, Raven?" Kate asked.

"I lived in Azarth's garden. When I was younger, my mother would take me and tell me all about the plants that grew." I smiled at the memory.

"That sounds wonderful. Where is that?" Kate smiled.

"On my home planet." I nodded. "I wasn't born on Earth either," I explain when she looks confused.

"Oh, well that is a place I would very much like to see someday." Kate nodded.

"You can't. The planet was destroyed and there haven’t been any life forms on it for a long time." I said to my plate. I didn't like talking about Azarth very much, but It was nice to at least have that memory.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Kate said.

"Don't be." Just as I said that our waiter came over with our food. It was delicious and the best food I have eaten in quite a while. Over the meal, we talked about our favorite missions and when Kori and I came to Earth. At the end of the meal, we fought over who was going to pay (Damian or Dick). Dick won and paid for our dinner.

After that, we teleported to our next location.

It was nice o'clock in the morning before we finally settled down. We had been to Paris, Egypt, France, England, Canada, Texas, and Rome. I was starting to feel a lot better. There was still a sharp pain when I walked, but I was healing.

"Should we pay for a hotel?" Kori asked.

"If we pay for one, the boys could figure out what hotel we are staying at and then find us." Kate said, almost fully asleep.

"I vote we do it," I said, standing up. "I don't have enough energy to portal us anymore. I need sleep."

"I vote we just go back to the manner. Sure, the guys are there, but I just want to sleep." Kate stood up.

"I'm okay with that." I shrugged. "I've spent enough to be satisfied."

"Well, I am not." Kori stood up. "I vote we go to the Titan Tower. At least we won't sleep under the same roof as any of them."

"Fine." Kate groaned.

"I will make one more portal." I sighed and used up what little I had left in me to make one. I was so ready for sleep.

When I stepped through the portal the lights were all off in the tower. I groaned as my foot hit something hard. Suddenly the lights were turned on. Lucky for us it was just Superboy.

"What are you guys doing here?" He said looking at the three of us.

"Having a girl’s night." I groaned as I walked past him and into my room. As soon as I closed the door I jumped into bed and fell asleep. Maybe it wasn't a smart choice to teleport around while trying to heal. Oh well.

The next time I woke up it was three in the afternoon. I guess getting to bed so late really does ruin your entire day. I got dressed in some comfy clothes and sat down for some food. All that magic I used last night really made me hungry.

When I opened the door, Damian was sitting on the ground reading a book. He looked up at me and within seconds he was on his feet.

"Let me explain." He stepped towards me. "It's not what you think."

"Oh really." I walked past him and into the kitchen. I was so hungry nothing could stop me.

"Yes." He followed me. "I really don't remember much of what happened, but I do know that that girl was not human. She put some sort of trance on us."

I looked at him. Was he really going to tell me that it wasn't his fault?

"Damian, I am an empath. I felt your emotions. I know for a fact that you were feeling love when you looked at her." I turned back to my task at hand. Food.

"You don't understand I didn't have a choice. I..." he faded off.

I grabbed my toast and sat down at the table. Damian slowly came over.

"You're right, I did feel something for her." He admitted.

He did have feelings for her.

My heart broke.

"But it wasn't what you think." He quickly added when he saw my face.

"Damian..." I say, just wanting him to leave.

"I know it sounds messed up, but when I tell you that you are the only person, I have ever loved... it's the truth." He put his hand on mine.

I moved my hand back.

"You just said you felt something for her." He was holding something back.

"I..." he looked away. "I thought she was you."

It took a moment for the words to hit me.

He thought that girl was me?

"How?"

"I am not sure, but I didn't see anyone but you, and you were so sad. I gave you my handkerchief and tried to make you stop crying. Then suddenly you were nowhere, and some stranger was standing in front of me." He glanced up at me and then backed away.

"I am so sorry." He said after I didn't say anything in response. This was a lot to take in. Damian's Ora was blue and sad. I knew he was telling the truth, but it was so strange.

"You thought she was me?"

"Yes." He looked up at me, this time looking me in the eyes. "When I saw that she wasn't I knew I didn't want you to know about this. None of the guys wanted to admit they saw their girlfriends in front of them. We had all done some ridiculous things to try and make her feel better." Damian chuckled at the memory. "I did a magic trick for you."

"Really?"

"I pulled a coin from your ear." He looked at me. "Well, it wasn't your ear, but I thought it was."

"Damian, I know you are telling the truth. I am sorry for how we left and didn't hear you guys out." I put my hand on his. "I... was hurt."

"I didn't mean to hurt you." He took my hand and kissed it. "Please forgive me."

"Only if you forgive me." I give him a small smile.

"Of course." He pulled me into his lap. "I also forgive you for spending $3000 dollars on my credit card." He smirked.

I gasped. I had forgotten all about that. "I am so..." he cut me off.

"Don't mention it." He kissed my cheek. "How is your side? Alfred told me the bullet shattered inside you."

"I am fine. Still some pain but it is manageable." I nodded.

"Is it bad?" He tried to lift my shirt. "Do you need to re-stitch it?"

"I don't think so," I say, pulling down my shirt.

He looked at me. "Raven, let's not do this again. The fight I mean."

"Agreed," I said, kissing him. It was a warm kiss, and it made all of yesterday's worries disappear. Damian pulled me closer with ease to deepen the kiss. We kissed for a minute longer before we heard someone walk into the room.

"You've forgiven that trader!" Kate pointed a finger at me. I tried to climb off Damian's lap, but he held me down.

"Kate, if you would please leave me and my girlfriend alone..." Damian faded in a suggestive way that made me blush. He was smirking at Kate, who was only getting angrier.

"Raven, how could you?" Kate looked at me. Just then Kori and Dick walked into the room with a smile on their faces. It seems they had made up as well. "Not you too!" Kate pointed at Kori. "How am I the only one with enough brains to fight their good looks."

I hid my smile behind Damian's neck. Damian held onto me as if not to let me go.

"Kate, please hear me out!" Roy ran into the room. Kate bolted for the door. "Please, we can go to my parent’s house tonight if you want. You win!" He chased after her.

"Brother," Damian said, nodding towards Dick as he sat down at the table.

"I see you got to finally speak to Raven." Dick nodded toward me, making me blush. I tried to get off his lap, but Damian held onto me.

"Yes," Damian said.

"He was like a lost puppy last night without you," Dick said to me. "He was very worried that you had gotten badly hurt..."

Just then the salt and pepper flew at Dick’s face. He caught salt, but the pepper hit him right in the side of the head. I turned to Damian, who was pretending he hadn't just done that.

"Not cool," Dick said, rubbing his head.

"Shut up then." Damian snapped back.

"Fine. I just thought she should know." Dick leaned back.

"Now brother, if you excuse me..." Damian stood up, carrying me in his arms. "I have to go."

I tried to part myself from him, but Damian carried me out of the room and into his bedroom. He hasn't stayed in this room since he left for Wayne Manor in two months. Still, the room was clean and there wasn't even dust.

Damian plopped me on the bed, with a smile. "Now. I would like to show you how sorry I am," He said before he kissed me.